TO: Committee of the Whole - Public Safety and Human Services
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
|
Police |
Chief Darrell Lowe |
425-556-2521 |
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
|
Police |
Brian Coats |
Deputy Chief |
TITLE:
title
Public Safety Plan for Arrival of Light Rail
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
Sound Transit is preparing to deliver light rail transit service via the East Link Extension sometime between March 15th and March 30th, 2024. This line will include the opening of the Overlake Village Station and Redmond Technology Station in the City of Redmond, operating from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
Initially, the police department intends to provide two uniformed officers during the peak commuter hours seven days a week. The assigned officer’s salaries will be paid by Sound Transit through an interlocal agreement.
body
☐ Additional Background Information/Description of Proposal Attached
REQUESTED ACTION:
☒ Receive Information ☐ Provide Direction ☐ Approve
REQUEST RATIONALE:
• Relevant Plans/Policies:
N/A
• Required:
N/A
• Council Request:
N/A
• Other Key Facts:
N/A
OUTCOMES:
Sound Transit Public Safety and Security began providing security coverage at the Eastlink stations last November. This roving team of uniformed security officers covers all the stations on the line from South Bellevue to the Redmond Technology Station. Their focus prior to the opening of the line has been on theft prevention during construction. The transit security team will continue providing a presence along with additional layers of contract transit security when the line becomes operational.
All Redmond police officers are scheduled to attend light rail train familiarization training in February and March. Content of the training includes the safest way to access the trains at the station and best practices for responding to emergencies.
The police department intends to provide uniformed officers to respond to calls for service and deter criminal activity at the light rail stations. A major focus of these assigned officers will be visibility, theft deterrence within the parking structures, taking case reports, and investigating crimes leading to prosecution.
The police department created an additional patrol district, referred to as the Transit District. This will enable the department to document calls for service specific to light rail, using that data to scale up or scale down dedicated police resources as additional stations come online.
COMMUNITY/STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AND INVOLVEMENT:
• Timeline (previous or planned):
The eastlink section of light rail is scheduled to open in mid to late March, 2024.
• Outreach Methods and Results:
Members of command staff participated in a tabletop exercise simulating an emergency at the Technology Station. The exercise involved many stakeholders, providing an opportunity for first responders to meet and work with staff from King County Transit.
• Feedback Summary:
N/A
BUDGET IMPACT:
Total Cost:
The cost of providing uniformed police officers for the light rail stations will initially be provided by Sound Transit. Redmond will need to authorize and fund additional FTE’s in upcoming bi- annual budget cycles
Approved in current biennial budget: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☒ N/A
Budget Offer Number:
227
Budget Priority:
Safe & Resilient
Other budget impacts or additional costs: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☒ N/A
If yes, explain:
N/A
Funding source(s):
N/A
Budget/Funding Constraints:
N/A
☐ Additional budget details attached
COUNCIL REVIEW:
Previous Contact(s)
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Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
N/A |
Item has not been presented to Council |
N/A |
Proposed Upcoming Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
N/A |
None proposed at this time |
N/A |
Time Constraints:
Light rail is projecting train operations to begin in April, 2024
ANTICIPATED RESULT IF NOT APPROVED:
N/A
ATTACHMENTS:
N/A